Joe Saunders | Relief Pitcher

Latest News

Recent News

Mariners LHP Joe Saunders opted out of his minor league contract and elected free agency.

The 33-year-old southpaw had been toiling away at Triple-A Tacoma where he compiled a 5.73 ERA, 1.36 WHIP and 12/4 K/BB ratio over 11 innings out of the bullpen. He'll explore opportunities elsewhere. May 1 - 8:02 PM

Saunders was due to make a $100,000 retention bonus on his previous minor league deal, so he was released before agreeing to this new contract. He put up a 6.70 ERA over 43 innings in the majors last season and has struggled this spring. The veteran southpaw won't make the Opening Day roster, but he'll give the Mariners some rotation depth in Triple-A. Mar 31 - 2:00 PM

Joe Saunders was battered by the Mariners on Sunday, allowing six runs in one inning of work.

Saunders has now allowed seven runs in two spring innings -- not exactly the start the left-hander envisioned. He allowed five hits in total along with a walk while striking out two. If Saunders breaks camp with the team, he'll be pitching out of the bullpen, but he'll have to work out his early kinks first. Mar 8 - 6:31 PM

Mariners signed LHP Joe Saunders to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.

Saunders, who pitched for the Mariners in 2013, had a 6.70 ERA over eight starts and six relief appearances between the Orioles and Rangers last season and also spent some time in the minors. He'll turn 34 in June and the Mariners are looking at him as an option for the bullpen rather than rotation depth. Feb 20 - 12:46 PM

Player News

Saunders was due to make a $100,000 retention bonus on his previous minor league deal, so he was released before agreeing to this new contract. He put up a 6.70 ERA over 43 innings in the majors last season and has struggled this spring. The veteran southpaw won't make the Opening Day roster, but he'll give the Mariners some rotation depth in Triple-A.

Joe Saunders was battered by the Mariners on Sunday, allowing six runs in one inning of work.

Saunders has now allowed seven runs in two spring innings -- not exactly the start the left-hander envisioned. He allowed five hits in total along with a walk while striking out two. If Saunders breaks camp with the team, he'll be pitching out of the bullpen, but he'll have to work out his early kinks first.

Mariners signed LHP Joe Saunders to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training.

Saunders, who pitched for the Mariners in 2013, had a 6.70 ERA over eight starts and six relief appearances between the Orioles and Rangers last season and also spent some time in the minors. He'll turn 34 in June and the Mariners are looking at him as an option for the bullpen rather than rotation depth.

Seattle is looking at him as a bullpen possibility if he's willing to accept a minor league contract. Saunders, who pitched for the Mariners in 2013, had a 6.70 ERA over eight starts and six relief appearances between the Orioles and Rangers last season and also spent some time in the minors. He'll be 34 in June.

Saunders had been designated for assignment earlier in the week after putting up a 6.13 ERA and 2.07 WHIP across eight starts. As bad as the veteran lefty has been this season, a team with rotation issues will surely give him a shot. It just might be on a minor league deal.

Saunders gets the boot after giving up seven runs over five innings Monday against the Orioles. The veteran southpaw registered an ugly 6.13 ERA and 2.07 WHIP across eight starts with the Rangers this season. The match was a bad fit from the start.

Joe Saunders was lit up for seven runs in five innings by the Orioles in Monday's loss.

Saunders gave up four homers to the Orioles' right-handed hitters, two of them coming from Steve Pearce. He's doing the best he can with his very limited arsenal, but he's having a tough time keeping the Rangers in games at the moment.

Joe Saunders allowed seven hits and three runs -- two earned -- over 5 1/3 innings in a loss to the Indians on Sunday.

Saunders walked four without striking out a single batter in the loss. The southpaw is 0-2 with a 3.60 ERA and 1.90 WHIP in four starts this year, and he can be ignored for the purpose of fantasy baseball. He'll face his former club, the Mariners, in Seattle on Saturday.

Joe Saunders allowed two runs while giving up 10 hits over six innings in a loss to the Orioles on Tuesday.

Saunders was by no means great, but he wasn't the reason the Rangers lost on Tuesday -- after his exit, the bullpen surrendered six runs in the eighth inning. The southpaw walked one and struck out two in his time on the mound. Through three starts with the club, Saunders has a 3.68 ERA and an ugly 1.84 WHIP with 12 strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings of work. He'll face the Indians on Sunday.

Joe Saunders got the no-decision, tossing five shutout innings as the Rangers defeated the Twins 1-0 on Wednesday.

Saunders, making his return to the mound after a stint on the disabled list, was quite effective, limiting the Twins to five hits and two walks while striking out six. The lefty is taking Scott Baker's spot in the rotation. While Saunders pitched well, he's risky in all fantasy formats. He'll take the mound against the Orioles at home in his next start.

It's a nice step, but Mariners manager Lloyd McClendon cautioned that it's "going to be a slow process" for Paxton. "Pax is going to be out for a while," the skipper added. It's not a surprise, as Bob Dutton of the Tacoma News Tribune speculated last week that the lefty returning prior to August would be "optimistic."

Charlie Furbush (biceps) is scheduled to throw bullpen sessions on Sunday and Tuesday.

If all goes well, Furbush will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Tacoma on Thursday and could be back with the Mariners by next weekend. Furbush has been one of the more reliable arms in Seattle's bullpen, contributing a dominant 2.08 ERA across 33 appearances this year. Left-handers are hitting .105 against him in 38 at-bats.